לְהוֹדָעָא לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמֶעֲבַד הָדֵין תְּמָנְיָא יוֹמִין חַדְוָא וִיקָר כְּיּוֹמֵי מוֹעֲדַיָּא דִּכְתִיבִין בְּאוֹרָיְתָא לְאַדְלָקָא בְּהוֹן לְהוֹדָעָא לְמַן דְּיֵּיתֵי מִבַּתְרֵיהוֹן אֲרֵי עֲבַד לְהוֹן אֱלָהֲהוֹן פּוּרְקָנָא מִן שְׁמַיָּא. The festival is observed by lighting the candles of a candelabrum with nine branches, called a menorah (or hanukkiah). If an account exists, we've sent an email with a link to reset your password. Hanukkah (/ˈhɑːnəkə/ HAH-nə-kə; Hebrew: חֲנֻכָּה‎ ḥanūkká, Tiberian: ḥanūkkā, usually spelled חֲנוּכָּה‎, pronounced [χanuˈka] in Modern Hebrew, [ˈχanukə] or [ˈχanikə] in Yiddish; a transliteration also romanized as Chanukah, Ḥanukah, Chanuka, Hanuka) is a Jewish festival commemorating the recovery of Jerusalem and subsequent rededication of the Second Temple at the beginning of the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century BCE. Also spelled Hanukkah (or variations of that spelling), the Hebrew word is actually pronounced with a guttural, “kh” sound, kha-nu … I am a Christian mother of five wonderful children, blessed with an amazing husband. Stores in Haredi neighborhoods sell the traditional Shin dreidels as well, because they understand "there" to refer to the Temple and not the entire Land of Israel, and because the Hasidic Masters ascribe significance to the traditional letters. By 164 BCE, the Jewish revolt against the Seleucid monarchy was successful. One candle per night of Hanukkah is lit, like Hebrew is read, from right to left. [105], The menorah is not lit during Shabbat, but rather prior to the beginning of Shabbat as described above and not at all during the day. The earliest Hanukkah link with the White House occurred in 1951 when Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion presented United States President Harry Truman with a Hanukkah Menorah. (federal) = federal holidays, (abbreviation) = state/territorial holidays, (religious) = religious holidays, (cultural) = holiday related to a specific racial/ethnic group or sexual minority, (week) = week-long holidays, (month) = month-long holidays, (36) = Title 36 Observances and Ceremonies Of course, there is also the time-honored tradition of watching “The Rugrats Chanukah” –an enjoyable cinematic experience for all ages. [44] In particular, Jason's Hellenistic reforms would prove to be a decisive factor leading to eventual conflict within the ranks of Judaism. The former spelling (Hanukkah), which is based on using characters of the English alphabet as symbols to re-create the word's correct spelling in Hebrew,[12] is the most common[13] and the preferred choice of Merriam–Webster,[14] Collins English Dictionary, the Oxford Style Manual, and the style guides of The New York Times and The Guardian. Just as God worked through a small group of Jewish believers to take back the holy Temple, Yeshua took back our personal "temples" from the enemy and dedicated us to God. (eds.). [28] Josephus does not say the festival was called Hanukkah but rather the "Festival of Lights": In the New Testament, John 10:22–23 says, "Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. Since Hanukkah lasts eight days it includes at least one, and sometimes two, Jewish Sabbaths (Saturdays). During the Middle Ages "Megillat Antiochus" was read in the Italian synagogues on Hanukkah just as the Book of Esther is read on Purim. Translation: "Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to kindle the Hanukkah light[s]. The, 96 BCE: Beginning of an eight-year civil war between, 85–82 BCE: Consolidation of the Kingdom in territory east of the, 63 BCE: The Hasmonean Jewish Kingdom comes to an end because of a rivalry between the brothers, Sunset, 2 December 2018 – nightfall, 10 December 2018, Sunset, 22 December 2019 – nightfall, 30 December 2019, Sunset, 10 December 2020 – nightfall, 18 December 2020, Sunset, 28 November 2021 – nightfall, 6 December 2021, Sunset, 18 December 2022 – nightfall, 26 December 2022, Sunset, 7 December 2023 – nightfall, 15 December 2023, Sunset, 25 December 2024 – nightfall, 2 January 2025, Sunset, 14 December 2025 – nightfall, 22 December 2025, This page was last edited on 8 January 2021, at 19:36. After intense fighting, the water supply of the Jews was cut off and the situation became desperate. When there is a second Sabbath on Hanukkah, the Haftarah reading is from 1Kings 7:40 – 1Kings 7:50. Romanian Jews eat pasta latkes as a traditional Hanukkah dish, and Syrian Jews consume Kibbet Yatkeen, a dish made with pumpkin and bulgur wheat similar to latkes, as well as their own version of keftes de prasa spiced with allspice and cinnamon. [134][135][136], Major Jewish holidays are those when all forms of work are forbidden, and that feature traditional holiday meals, kiddush, holiday candle-lighting, etc. [84], The reason for the Hanukkah lights is not for the "lighting of the house within", but rather for the "illumination of the house without," so that passersby should see it and be reminded of the holiday's miracle (i.e. Some also have a custom of eating dairy products to remember Judith and how she overcame Holofernes by feeding him cheese, which made him thirsty, and giving him wine to drink. [119] The deuterocanonical book of Judith (Yehudit or Yehudis in Hebrew), which is not part of the Tanakh, records that Holofernes, an Assyrian general, had surrounded the village of Bethulia as part of his campaign to conquer Judea. [22], Except in times of danger, the lights were to be placed outside one's door, on the opposite side of the mezuza, or in the window closest to the street. [96], The song was composed in the thirteenth century by a poet only known through the acrostic found in the first letters of the original five stanzas of the song: Mordechai. One minhag favors the fifth night of Hanukkah for giving Hanukkah gelt. The miracle of the oil is widely regarded as a legend and its authenticity has been questioned since the Middle Ages. CNN Sans ™ & © 2016 Cable News Network. Here’s a rundown of the game. Hannukah? Then why do people make such a big deal out of it? Therefore, Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah for eight days. Hanukkah party in Vail. [127] In 2004, after eight years of reissuing the menorah design, the USPS issued a dreidel design for the Hanukkah stamp. Before You Celebrate Hanukkah at Home… Here are 7 basics that will help you understand the spiritual warfare depicted in the Hanukkah story. [88] Friday night presents a problem, however. ", בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱ-לֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁעָשָׂה נִסִּים לַאֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה.[94]. [102][103], The same prayer is added to the grace after meals. Sephardi, Polish, and Israeli families eat jam-filled doughnuts called sufganiyot, which were (Yiddish: פאנטשקעס‎ pontshkes) by Ashkenazi Jews living in Eastern and Central Europe prior to the Holocaust, bimuelos (spherical doughnuts) and sufganiyot which are deep-fried in oil. [88] Later than that, the lights should still be kindled, but the blessings should be recited only if there is at least somebody else awake in the house and present at the lighting of the Hannukah lights. His … In addition, the Hallel (praise) Psalms (Psalm 113 – Psalm 118) are sung during each morning service and the Tachanun penitential prayers are omitted.[102][104]. Chanukah celebrates two miracles: a) The 2nd century BCE victory of a small, greatly outnumbered and out-armed army of Jews, known as the “ Maccabees,” over the mighty Greek army that occupied the Holy Land.The rebellion was in response to the Greek attempt to force a Hellenistic G‑dless lifestyle on the Jewish inhabitants of Israel. Merriam-Webster’ uses the spelling “Hanukkah,” but “Chanukah” is also widely accepted. They found only a single container that was still sealed by the High Priest, with enough oil to keep the menorah in the Temple lit for a single day. There are special additions to the daily prayer service, and a section is added to the blessing after meals. hebrewrootsmom. וכל שמונת ימי חנוכה הנרות הללו קודש הם, ואין לנו רשות להשתמש בהם אלא להאיר אותם בלבד כדי להודות ולהלל לשמך הגדול על נסיך ועל נפלאותיך ועל ישועותיך. Only biblical holidays fit these criteria, and Chanukah was instituted some two centuries after the Hebrew Bible was completed. By 166 BCE, Mattathias had died, and Judah took his place as leader. It's what our young people can teach us – that one act of faith can make a miracle, that love is stronger than hate, that peace can triumph over conflict. It ends on the 2nd of Tevet. [141][6], Some Jews in North America and Israel have taken up environmental concerns in relation to Hanukkah's "miracle of the oil", emphasizing reflection on energy conservation and energy independence. I love nature, astronomy, flowers, and snow. Adapting the classical Hebrew pronunciation with the geminate and pharyngeal Ḥeth can lead to the spelling Hanukkah, while adapting the modern Hebrew pronunciation with no gemination and uvular Ḥeth leads to the spelling Chanukah. It is most commonly transliterated to English as Hanukkah or Chanukah. [15] The sound represented by Ch ([χ], similar to the Scottish pronunciation of loch) is not native to the English language. [128], In 2001, President George W. Bush held an official Hanukkah reception in the White House in conjunction with the candle-lighting ceremony, and since then this ceremony has become an annual tradition attended by Jewish leaders from around the country. Here's the story behind the event also known as Chanukah. Celebrate the festival of lights and stick to Hanukkah traditions to show your appreciation for the holiday. At Four Seasons Resort and Residences Vail, they celebrate Hanukkah with a nightly menorah lighting ceremony starting at … Since Christmas is generally accepted as an important and universal experience in American childhood, kids of other faiths often feel left out of the celebrations. In… In 1979 president Jimmy Carter took part in the first public Hanukkah candle-lighting ceremony of the National Menorah held across the White House lawn. [114], Latkes are not popular in Israel, as they are more commonly made at home and are an Ashkenazi Jewish dish. [65], Hanukkah is not a "Sabbath-like" holiday, and there is no obligation to refrain from activities that are forbidden on the Sabbath, as specified in the Shulkhan Arukh. Despite what some holiday movies will have you believe, Hanukkah is not the Jewish equivalent of Christmas, nor is it an insurmountably difficult holiday to learn about. [97], After lighting the candles and Ma'oz Tzur, singing other Hanukkah songs is customary in many Jewish homes. [88] The custom of many is to light at sundown, although most Hasidim light later. She went back to his tent with him, where she plied him with cheese and wine. "[131] Rabbi Angela Warnick Buchdahl, in leading prayers at the ceremony commented on the how special the scene was, asking the President if he believed America's founding fathers could possibly have pictured that a female Asian-American rabbi would one day be at the White House leading Jewish prayers in front of the African-American president.[132]. וְאַדְלִיקוּ מִנַּהּ תְּמָנְיָא יוֹמִין widely accepted their purpose is to publicize the miracle of the oil is regarded. This in parts mirrors the ascendancy of Christmas, which is the Jewish calendar decreed... Celebrate by lighting the candles must be lit before sunset traditionally filled with olive oil ) for Hanukkah to specifically. 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